We are at this crossroad for for many reasons. These include:
- Declining student population
- Aging buildings
- Higher costs
- Increasing educational demands
- Anxiety over Taxes, and
- Distrust of government institutions in general and our past School Board in particular
Educational excellence is what makes this district a state and national benchmark to which other districts aspire. The hybrid high school will provide the flexibility that future educational challenges will demand. The administration is also confident that the larger building will maintain the small school advantages that we all desire while eliminating the problems that are inherent in the 2 mile bus ride between buildings.
We also need the fiscal responsibility to address the very tough economic realities that are facing all school districts in the state including ours. After participating in most of the Community Partnership Committees over the past year, I am confident that we are up to this challenge. This high school proposal is easily affordable by the school district, being well below the borrowing limit set for us by the State of Michigan, and by the taxpayer, representing only 3% of our annual property tax bill. This plan is a critical step towards addressing the deficits that are potentially ahead of us.
Does this take a degree of trust in the school board and administration? Sure. Do I think they are worthy of that trust? After working one-on-one with many of them for a year, the answer is absolutely!
This is why I’m voting YES on May 8th.
Thank you for this and for all your help in clarifying many of the issues about May 8th, particularly those involving the supposed "debt." Your claim that we are at a crossroads here is spot on. And your list of reasons is pretty much comprehensive. I would only add one point about the larger context that makes this such a momentous vote. State funding and support of Public Education has changed dramatically (I hear a lot about Birmingham schools -- as far as I am concerned they are ahead of us only in that they have made this clearer to the community at large). Local communities need to act, and act in the way they have not since the late 19th century if they want to maintain and develop their school districts. At the moment, I trust our administration and school board far more than the state legislature that is -- even as we struggle to agree over an affordable and reasonable plan -- pushing 200 million dollars toward for profit "cyber schools" for K-12. VOTE YES on May 8th.
I know you studied long and hard all the information regarding the proposal before us. I know your yes vote is not a knee jerk reaction but was arrived at after exhaustive fact finding, listening and number crunching. I for one appreciate your hard work and the hours you have dedicated to our district and ultimately our students. Thanks for your support! Chris, I too was in Andover yesterday and the room where I was working was ice cold. The hallways were hot. Great would not be a word I would use to describe how it looked. This proposal is needed. This proposal will allow for annual cost savings that will be funneled back into the classrooms. This proposal will facilitate delivery of a world class education. This proposal will improve property values. I believe it is a WIN from every angle. Vote YES on May 8 for a unified high school facility that our district, students and staff can be proud of! Go Black Hawks!
So which one is it? I'm confused.
Vote YES on May 8.